Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electrode for an electro-erosion process, and to a method of manufacturing such an electrode.
Electro-machining is a process for applying electric energy to a workpiece and an electrode to effect removal of material from the workpiece. Generally, electro-machining processes are divided into two categories based on the material removal process. The first category of electro-machining processes is electric-discharge machining (EDM), in which thermal energy flows between the electrode and the workpiece, causing material to be removed from the workpiece. The second category of electro-machining processes is electro-chemical machining (ECM), in which an oxidation reaction occurs at the workpiece due to a chemical potential difference from an applied electric field and material is removed from the workpiece.
In addition, there is another technology utilizing thermal energy to drive material removal, i.e., high speed electro-erosion (HSEE), which has been used for machining difficult-to-machine, high-performance alloy workpieces. Generally, the HSEE process is applied to electrically conductive workpieces. In the HSEE process, the material removal takes place mainly due to the effect of thermal action but some electro-chemical reaction may also occur.
Generally, electrodes used in the conventional electro-erosion process have a flushing channel to direct flushing fluids to the cutting zone. The flushing fluids may cool the workpiece and simultaneously eject the removed material from the workpiece. However, accumulation of the removed material on non-cutting zones of the workpiece may result in drawing excess current and result in generation of undesirable arcs between the electrode and the workpiece. Thus, a conventional electrode may not be suitable for high speed cutting of a workpiece. Further, the fabrication of a substantially large and thin electrode, with multiple flushing channels, is difficult using the traditional drilling method.
Accordingly, there is need for a new and improved electro-erosion electrode with unique flushing geometries and a method for fabricating such an electrode.